Air Hogs Elite Helix X4 Quadcopter Review: The RC Toy You Will Claim Is For Your Kids

bynesselJuly 21, 2013

At Toy Fair in February 2013 we saw a demo of the Air Hogs RC Elite Helix X4 Stunt Quadcopter that is set to be released in Fall 2013. A remote control quadcopter, with ducted fans, gyro stabilization and maybe most importantly, built to survive the inevitable crashes all RC toys experience? Sounded like a winner, but, we have learned that a lot can go wrong from demo prototype to full working production models.

The Wait Is Over – Hands-On With the Helix X4 Stunt Quadcopter

We are glad to report we have now had some time to do our own testing with the Air Hogs Helix X4 Stunt Quadcopter. We flew it, we flipped it and yes, we fully tested the claims that it has “crash resistant construction”. Of course, all of this was to see if it would make a great toy for the kids…it is not like us Dads secretly want it or anything…

The Air Hogs Elite Helix X4 Stunt – A Quadcopter For The Rest of Us

The Helix X4 Stunt is part of the new “Elite” line from Air Hogs. It is rated for “Expert” level. This would all have you believing that the Helix X4 is hard to fly, but that is NOT the case. Surprisingly, we actually found the Helix X4 Stunt to be one of the easiest quad copters to fly. In many ways, flying the Helix X4 Stunt, with its gyro stabilization (just a fancy term that means it stays very level) is easier than flying many of the RC helicopters.

Quick disclaimer – when it comes to flying RC toys, everything is relative. Yes, the Helix X4 is relatively easy to fly, but as with all flying RC toys it does take some time and practice to improve your piloting skills. Impressively, you can get the Helix X4 up and flying level with your first flight, but if you want to master turning controls and doing stunts, you will need some practice. Oh, did we mention the stunts…

Flips and Barrel Rolls at The Press of a Button

On the remote control for the Air Hogs Elite Helix X4 you will find a big red button. In my experience, it is always good when toys have a big red button! Even better in this case, there is a big red switch, with 3 numbers above the big red button. As the video shows, you press that red button and your Helix X4 does flips, barrel rolls and 180 degree flips.

Being able to flip a quadcopter with the push of a button is something that kids (and their Dads) are going to love. To be honest, we had a hard time seeing the difference betweens flips and barrel rolls, but just watching the Helix X4 do crazy gyrations in the air is fun. One tip, have lots of open space before attempting a flip.

In True Air Hogs Fashion, The Helix X4 Stunt Can Take A Beating

Absolutely not because we have limited piloting skills, but just because we wanted to test the claims of “crash resistant”, we decided to do some crashes We are happy to report the Helix X4 had no problems being flown into ceilings, walls, siblings and trees. If you can avoid crashing, great – but if you do have some incidents you can rest easy knowing that the ducted fans and material design keep the Helix X4 in one piece.

Trim? We Don’t Need No Stinking Trim Controls!

If you look closely at the remote in the video you will see some sticks where the trim control would normally be, but they are just for show. Yes, due to the gyro stabilization, Air Hogs did away with any trim controls on this RC. I think this is a major step forward for getting “regular people” to love RC toys. Trim controls are always confusing – if your helicopter goes right, turn some knob left. How much to turn it? Who knows. Kids and parents are going to be happy that there is no trimming to be done with the Helix X4 Stunt Quad-copter.

Conclusion: The Helix X4 Stunt Will Make a Great Gift For Dads The Kids

Dads, it is time to start working on the kids now. Leave flyers on the Helix X4 Stunt all over the house. Tell your kids that you heard all the coolest kids are getting Helix X4 Stunts this Christmas. Do what it takes, because you need to have the kids wanting the Helix X4 so you can buy it for them and then play with it!

Seriously, the Air Hogs Elite Helix X4 Stunt is a great quadcopter, which the kids and adults will have a blast flying. The downside is the fly time – only about 6-8 minutes before you need to recharge for about 20 minutes. There is a Novice or Expert mode on the remote, but we found steering more difficult in Novice mode, so go for Expert.

Simply put, if you have kids who like flying toys, they are going to love the Helix X4 Stunt Quadcopter.